This Gentle Journey

This Gentle Journey End of Life Doula. Allow me to be your strength, support, source of knowledge & understanding. Proudly Service Alberta & BC

My foremost priority is to be the steady advocate for the Dying, ensuring that their wishes and dignity are the main focus.

08/19/2025

Those We Carry Within

May we treasure
and keep alive
the memories of those we have lost,

for though the veil has carried them
beyond our reach,
their essence lingers quietly,
like a fragrance that drifts softly in the air,
like a light that continues to glow
after the flame has gone out.

They are with us
in the smallest of ways:
in the words we speak that echo theirs,
in the places that once held their presence,
still warmed by it.

They are with us in our joy,
and in our sorrow,
in our moments of solitude,
and in our gatherings with others.

For love does not end with their passing;
it simply changes its form.

In remembering them,
we weave their spirit into our own.
In speaking their names,
we keep them alive in the world.

And in cherishing what they gave us,
wisdom, kindness, laughter, love,
we carry their spirit forward,

ensuring they remain
not only a part of our past,
but also a quiet companion in our present,
and a gentle guide into our future.

~ 'Those We Carry Within' by Spirit of a Hippie

✍️ Mary Anne Byrne

~ Art Unknown via Pinterest

08/16/2025

Grief Walks Beside Us

Grief is not something we shed,
but something that walks beside us,
patient and unhurried.

It lingers in the quiet moments,
in the spaces between breaths,
sometimes pressing close,
sometimes fading like mist at dawn.

It is a companion of memory and love,
a reminder of what we have lost
and what we still carry.

To live with grief is to learn a new rhythm:
to feel the ache without letting it consume,
to honor what was
while opening ourselves to what remains.

Day by day, life continues,
softly, imperfectly, tenderly,
and we move forward
not by leaving grief behind,
but by allowing it to walk with us,
shaping the depth of our hearts
and the contours of our joy.

~ 'Grief Walks Beside Us' by Spirit of a Hippie

✍️ Mary Anne Byrne

~ Art by Emelie Jegerings

Grief is an ache, a longing, a longing to be with the one we have lost.But what if, they're not lost at all?What if the...
08/16/2025

Grief is an ache, a longing, a longing to be with the one we have lost.
But what if, they're not lost at all?
What if they have simply stepped into another room,
through a doorway made of light?

We cannot follow, not yet. But we can imagine.
They are there, where pain does not reach,
where time is kind,
where laughter lingers like music in the air.
Maybe they're sitting beneath a tree that blooms in every season,
watching the wind carry our love like petals on the breeze.

And sometimes, when the world is quiet,
we feel them.
Not in the past, but close,
in a moment, a memory,
a dream that feels too real to be only a dream.
Maybe that’s them, reminding us:
"I’m not gone. I’m just elsewhere. Still loving you. Still near.

~'Still Near' by Spirit of a Hippie

✍️ Mary Anne Byrne

~ Art by IllustNation_Nakata

Instead of saying, "I know what it feels like", let's say "I cannot imagine your heartbreak".Instead of saying, "You're ...
08/14/2025

Instead of saying, "I know what it feels like", let's say "I cannot imagine your heartbreak".

Instead of saying, "You're strong, you'll get through this, let's say " You'll hurt, and I'll be here.

Instead of saying, "You look like you're doing well, Let's say, "How are you holding up today?"

Instead of saying, "Healing takes time", let's say "Healing has no timeline".

Instead of saying, "Everything happens for a reason, let's say "This must feel so terribly senseless right now".

And when there are no words to say at all, you don't need to try and find some. Love speaks in silences too.

~ 'Words' by Ullie-Kaye

~ Art by Jennifer Yoswa

“To My Caregivers, My Children”—You didn’t sign up for this.Not for the slow unraveling of the parent you once knew,not ...
08/14/2025

“To My Caregivers, My Children”
—You didn’t sign up for this.
Not for the slow unraveling of the parent you once knew,
not for the days that feel like watching me
fade in real time.

You didn’t sign up for the tremor in my hands,
the halting of my words,
the way I sometimes stare at the wall
because my mind has slipped somewhere you can’t follow.

You didn’t sign up for the smell of medicine on my breath,
for changing my clothes when I cannot,
for the endless cycle of pills, appointments,
and tears I try to hide.

And yet… here you are.
Not turning away.
Not running from the parts of this that are ugly,
or heavy,
or unbearably slow.

You see me—
not just the shell of me,
but the one who taught you to walk,
who stayed up in the night when you were sick,
who loved you before you even had a name.

And now,
you love me in the most unglamorous,
unphotographed way—
with hands that lift me,
with patience that holds me together,
with a steady presence that says,
“I will not leave.”

I know it’s hard to watch me
die by inches.
It’s hard to see me slip away
and still come back tomorrow,
ready to help me take another slow step.

But please know this—
every touch, every small mercy you give me
is not lost.
It is written in the deepest part of me.
And if I could,
I would gather it all into words
and tell you how much it means
that my last chapters
are being written in your hands.

Thank you—
for carrying me
through the part of life no one dreams about.
For showing me
that love doesn’t end
when the body begins to fade.

Author unknown

Anniversaries of our loved ones are heartfelt and challenging days They arrive each year with a quiet weight,settling ge...
08/13/2025

Anniversaries of our loved ones are heartfelt and challenging days
They arrive each year with a quiet weight,
settling gently yet unmistakably in the corners of our hearts.

It’s a day that can feel both unbearably heavy
and tenderly sacred,
a moment when the absence of someone we love
feels more real than ever.

Even if time has softened the sharp edges of grief,
the ache remains,
a gentle pulse reminding us of what was
and what still lives within us.

It’s okay to feel overwhelmed by the memories that come flooding back,
the laughter, the tender moments shared
that defined a lifetime.

It’s okay to let tears fall or to simply sit in silence,
holding space for the complicated feelings that anniversaries stir.

These days don’t just remind us of loss;
they also remind us of love’s enduring power.

The bond we shared doesn’t disappear with their absence.
It transforms, becoming a quiet presence
that walks alongside us, comforting and steady,
even in the hardest moments.

Though the world around us may carry on as usual,
our hearts slow down to honor what once was.

And in that honoring, we find a small measure of peace,
a reminder that love, even when wrapped in sorrow,
never truly leaves us.

It shapes who we are, guides us forward,
and gently holds us until the ache feels a little lighter again.

~ 'Forever in Our Hearts' by Spirit of a Hippie

✍️ Mary Anne Byrne

~ Art by Bernie Fitzsimons

🩵
07/29/2025

🩵

Very well put to help you understand.
06/07/2025

Very well put to help you understand.

I know that you are struggling now that I am not around, feeling my absence deeply. But know this truth: I am everywhere...
06/02/2025

I know that you are struggling now that I am not around, feeling my absence deeply. But know this truth: I am everywhere you go. I am the voice you feel without a sound, a quiet resonance in your heart.

I am every step you walk, a silent companion on your journey. I am every shining light you encounter, a beacon of hope and remembrance. Meet me in a memory, relive those cherished moments. I am there both day and night, watching over you.

I am the feather at your feet, a gentle reminder of my presence. I am the wind that softly blows your hair, a tender touch from beyond. I am the whispers you feel, a silent kiss of affection. I am always there.

I am the robin perched in the tree, a messenger of peace. I am tomorrow's butterfly, embodying transformation and new beginnings. But one thing I'll always be, unfailingly, is your angel in the sky, watching over you always. My love remains, a testament to Love & Loss that transcends all boundaries.

Always remember that they are near. Sending gentle energy to those of you without your Mom today especially 🩵 ...
05/11/2025

Always remember that they are near. Sending gentle energy to those of you without your Mom today especially 🩵

Today, I sat with grief.There was no noise, no distractions, just me and the weight in my heart.I thought if I stayed si...
05/11/2025

Today, I sat with grief.
There was no noise, no distractions, just me and the weight in my heart.
I thought if I stayed silent long enough, maybe grief would slip away.
But it stayed beside me, patient and still.
I tried to turn my back on it,
hoping it would lose its way.
But wherever I moved, it moved too,
like a shadow I couldn’t outrun.
This wasn’t a game—it was real, and it was heavy.
I changed rooms, changed scenery,
but grief was always there, waiting for me,
with a tear-streaked face that mirrored my own sadness.
I asked it why it wouldn’t leave,
why it clung to me so tightly.
But grief never answered,
because grief doesn’t need to.
So instead of pushing it away,
I let it sit beside me.
I stopped pretending I was fine.
I allowed myself to feel everything,
to show every crack, every broken piece.
Grief didn’t ask questions.
It didn’t rush me to heal.
It just stayed, patiently,
while I learned to breathe again.
Grief ate with me,
slept with me,
walked with me.
And slowly, I understood—
even if grief someday grows quieter,
the love behind it will never leave.
Because you are still gone,
and part of me will always miss you.
But sitting with grief?
It’s how I honor what was real.

Author unknown

Address

Okotoks, AB

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